Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper

Commissioners Okay Three-Year GIS Agreement

The Cheyenne County Commissioners agreed to a three-year contract for GIS mapping services.

The agreement came after lengthy discussion on options offered by the mapping company.

The discussion item included renewal of the county assessor, clerk and treasurer subscriptions to the service. At issue is the requirement for a minimum number of tabs or offices served. County Clerk Beth Fiegenschuh said her office does not use the service. Treasurer Diane Scott said since the program became web-based it has become more cumbersome.

County Assessor Sybil Prosser said she agrees; it is not a good system. She added there is no real choice. She said counties that have withdrawn have had state authorities overseeing their offices. She added that changing the contract from a five-year to a three-year will increase the cost 5 percent. The real cost is in the tech support. According to Prosser, the program itself costs about $3,800 annually.

“That extra $6,000 is solely for the tech support,” she told the commissioners.

According to discussion, the costs in 2017 were about $5,000 with the assessor, clerk and treasurer paying about $2,000 each.

Additionally, the company providing the GIS programming offered three and five-year contracts.

“I’m not comfortable with it because I won’t be there so I don’t want to make the decision for someone else,” she said.

The commissioners also heard a report by Carla Lutz on the Chautauqua event coming to Sidney June 14-17. This year’s theme is “World War I: Legacies of a Forgotten War.”

Lutz said the program is sponsored by Humanities Nebraska.

“The theme this year is World War I because it is the 100th anniversary of the ending of the war,” she said.

She said the Armistice ending the war was signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

She said the event starts with a kickoff 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, at the museum. During the Chautauqua there will be actors portraying characters of that era, including Nebraskan William Jennings Bryan and Woodrow Wilson.

She said all events in the Chautauqua are free, a requirement of Humanities Nebraska. There will be local nonprofit organizations selling food items before events.

The commissioners also met with Fair Board President Gerald Frerichs for a fairgrounds update. They discussed a possible RV dump at the fairgrounds, and an incident of horses left in the scale house. Frerichs said he doesn’t know who left the horses in the scale house, or why. The commissioners reminded Frerichs there are security cameras in place at the fairgrounds.

“I hate to lock up the whole fairgrounds. I don’t want to do that,” commissioner Philip Sanders said.

Frerichs said the corrals are getting painted, and asked the commissioners about new bathrooms after the mobile home is moved.

The commissioners also approved the sale of two lots in Gurley, valued at $3,000 total, for $2,000. No other bids were submitted for the land.

The commissioners also tabled a decision on a contract with the University of Lincoln for a summer intern at the Cheyenne County Extension Agency, approved a contract for 2018-2019 with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, approved a contract with M.C. Schaff for Road 46 Overlay project, and approved a letter of agreement between the Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office and the Panhandle Public Health District.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/17/2024 11:18